Congress: exchange of impunity for support in voting on the bill

the parliamentarian Maria del Carmen Alvaof Popular Action, has been proposed negotiate with Isabel Cortez to obtain the withdrawal of the complaint for aggression filed with the Ethics Commission. In return, he offers his support for a project on labor matters when it is debated and voted on in plenary.

Part of this story remained recorded in a WhatsApp conversation between María del Carmen Alva and her colleague Patricia Chirinos. And the information has been corroborated by different sources in Parliament.

Last Monday the 29th, many legislators were surprised when María del Carmen Alva approached the seat of Congresswoman Isabel Cortez. They both shook hands.

In a telephone dialogue, Isabel Cortez declared yesterday that in said meeting they only greeted each other. But a close witness to said scene heard that the parliamentarian mentioned: “I forgive you, but in exchange for my project on refreshments.” So far there are two versions, but there is more evidence.

The snack project

On November 9, 2021, Elizabeth Cortez presented bill 671, in which proposes to modify the Work Day Law to include the snack as part of the work day and of the work schedule in the cases of continuous work.

As chair of the Labor Commission, The legislator managed to promptly issue an opinion that was approved on December 17.

But the opinion was only approved with six votes of the twenty members of the commission. There were only votes in favor of the left-wing caucuses Peru Libre, Bloc Magisterial, Peru Democrático and Cambio Democrático. Instead, the legislators of the other stores voted against and abstained.

Nothing guaranteed final approval in plenary. In fact, Up to four times, the Cambio Democrático bench proposed this issue in the Board of Spokespersons, to prioritize it in plenary, and there were always votes against Fuerza Popular, Avanza País, Popular Renewal and Popular Action.

It is because of that Isabel Cortez would have opted for pragmatism, in order to obtain more votes for her project. And for this, she would be willing to leave the case of Alva’s aggression unpunished.

uncovered swap

At 4:38 pm last Monday, Congresswoman María Alva wrote to Patricia Chirinos and clearly the conversation is related to Isabel Cortez and a possible exchange of support in votes for impunity.

“He asks me for the PL (bill) for the snack,” Alva tells Chirinos. She then replies, “Well then.”

That is, Chirinos slides that Alva can meet Cortez’s request, but in exchange for the withdrawal of the complaint already submitted to the Ethics Commission.

That is why Chirinos adds the following in the conversation: “You support her in a PL but you withdraw (let her withdraw) the complaint.”

Chirinos later tells his colleague Alva: “But don’t tell me that. You just offer him support for that. For one vote you will not change anything.”

Another source from the Cambio Democrático bench also told this newsroom that Alva has asked Cortez to withdraw the complaint in Ethics.

Yesterday afternoon we reported on the conversation between Alva and Chirinos to Isabel Cortez, in order to find out her version of the underlying issue.

—Have you talked in those terms with María Alva?

—Look, I’m going to talk. Right now I would not know how to answer, because I am going to talk with my two colleagues, I don’t know why they are talking about those things.

Chat. Alva and Chirinos, and the possible exchange with Isabel Cortez. Photo: The Republic

“Didn’t you offer that to Congresswoman Alva?” —we insist.

—I’m going to talk to them, I’m going to see what’s going on.

– Do you reject have offered (Alva) the withdrawal of the complaint (in Ethics)?

—As I was saying, I’m going to talk with the two of them. and I’ll see what’s going on.

Isabel Cortez then cut the communication while being asked if she will maintain the complaint she filed with the Ethics Commission for the assault case against him.

AP today evaluates possible disciplinary process

The session will be at two in the afternoon and the agenda contemplates the beginning of a disciplinary process for María Alva’s maneuvers to get herself elected as president of the Foreign Relations Commission, outside the agreement of the bench.

The internal regulations contemplate the sanction of definitive separation. cortez yesterday He did not want to answer if he will withdraw the complaint against Alva that he filed with the Ethics group.